My generation failed Nigerians – Wole Soyinka

Nobel Prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka, has said that his generation of older Nigerians has failed the country. Soyinka said this when he appeared on Hard Talk, a BBC program yesterday.

The professor said that the dreams of his generation about the country had not manifested themselves, largely as a result of greed and corruption on their part.

When he was asked by the anchor, Zeinab Badawi, “Has your generation of older Nigerians failed the people?”, The Nobel Prize winner responded. “Yes, I believe so. I compare it today with dreams and aspirations that we had when we all rushed home after studying abroad. We considered ourselves the renaissance that would lift the continent to world standards, competitors everywhere. It’s did not happen.”

He described the 2019 general election as the most depressing election that Nigeria has ever had. “The 2019 elections are one of the most depressing elections we have had. Speaking for myself, it was not possible for me to make a choice for the simple reason that both candidates (President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar) are histories had – one immediately, one past – who were looking for alternatives.” Wole Soyinka says